你听说过“非物质文化遗产”吗？
Have you ever heard of "intangible cultural heritage"?
它指的是那些看不见、摸不着，却一代一代传下来的文化，比如剪纸、皮影戏和传统节日。
It refers to culture that cannot be seen or touched, yet has been passed down generation after generation, such as paper cutting, shadow puppetry, and traditional festivals.
2001年，中国的昆曲被联合国列入了世界非物质文化遗产名单。
In 2001, China's Kunqu opera was placed by the United Nations on the world intangible cultural heritage list.
后来，端午节、京剧和中医针灸也先后成为世界级的文化遗产。
Later, the Dragon Boat Festival, Peking opera, and Chinese acupuncture also became world-level cultural heritage one after another.
之所以要保护这些文化，是因为它们一旦消失，就永远无法恢复。
The reason these cultures must be protected is that once they disappear, they can never be recovered.
在南方的一个小镇上，我看过一位老人表演皮影戏。
In a small town in the south, I once watched an old man perform shadow puppetry.
灯光下，他用一双手让影子在白布上唱歌、跳舞，观众看得入迷。
Under the lamplight, with just a pair of hands he made the shadows sing and dance on a white cloth, and the audience watched, entranced.
现在，很多学校邀请民间艺人给孩子们上课，让他们从小接触这些传统。
Now, many schools invite folk performers to give lessons, letting children come into contact with these traditions from a young age.
保护遗产不等于把它们放进博物馆，而是让它们继续活在人们的生活中。
Protecting heritage does not mean putting it into a museum, but rather letting it continue to live in people's daily lives.
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Key words 生词
遗产yíchǎnheritage; legacy
剪纸jiǎnzhǐpaper cutting
皮影戏píyǐngxìshadow puppetry
昆曲KūnqǔKunqu opera
针灸zhēnjiǔacupuncture
民间mínjiānfolk; among the people
Grammar note 语法点
之所以…是因为… (the reason why… is that…)
States a result first, then its cause: 之所以要保护这些文化，是因为它们一旦消失，就永远无法恢复。
他之所以成功，是因为他从来不放弃。 — The reason he succeeded is that he never gives up.
一旦…就… (once…, then…)
一旦 marks a condition whose result follows immediately and often irreversibly: 它们一旦消失，就永远无法恢复。
一旦开始，就不能停下来。 — Once you start, you cannot stop.
不等于…而是… (does not mean…, but rather…)
Rejects one interpretation and gives the correct one: 保护遗产不等于把它们放进博物馆，而是让它们继续活在人们的生活中。
安静不等于同意，而是他还在考虑。 — Staying silent does not mean agreement; rather, he is still thinking it over.
Check yourself 小测验
1. According to the text, why must intangible cultural heritage be protected?
2. What happened to Kunqu opera in 2001?
3. What does the writer say real protection of heritage means?
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